KARACHI: The biggest ever manhunt for the killers of Custom Officer Himayat Siddiqi entered a “very crucial stage” following the capture of an injured camel of the fleeing smugglers’ caravan near Bella hillocks yesterday [July 15].

The trackers are following the tracks during the day while the smugglers are galloping on camel backs from sunset to sunrise for the last eight days. Have the smugglers crossed into Mekran’s hilly region?

The Deputy Commissioner of Lasbella, Mr Mohammad Hasan Baloch, told this reporter that the dragnet around Goong’s men was closing in fast. He is still very hopeful of their capture and maintained that they have not yet crossed Lasbella territory.

On the other hand, a Customs spokesman said they have crossed into Mekran and are on the run; their forward positions through the Mekran area through which they could possibly escape from Pakistan had already been sealed by the authorities who were keeping round-the-clock vigil. The smugglers are very much in Pakistan territory, he maintained.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2019